Homebrew Verdant Species Details
The Verdant are a strange folk, and usually stray away from established society. They were born when a coalition of witches inadvertently animated a large field of grass and weeds, and were promptly swallowed by the hungry newborn race.
Though quite humanoid, the Verdant know that there are fundamental differences between themselves and the likes of humans and elves. As such, they keep to their own kind, often inhabiting massive fields and plains where they can safely shift into grassy plants to rest for long periods, as they are prone to do. The Verdant are not known to engage in trade, production, work, or any of the other triflings that they deem useless while in large families, but individual Verdant have been known to integrate themselves into other humanoid societies, often by way of clever disguise. As such, the mere existence of the Verdant is widely debated, and most people that grew up outside of rural areas are unlikely to have heard of them outside of bedtime stories.
The Verdant are as diverse and beautiful as the plants they embody. They can be composed of grass, weeds, wheat, flowers, vines, or even wood, among a whole palette of other botanical materials and motifs. Many Verdant have even taken to resembling specific overgrown plants, especially those that guard the fields of their families, who will assume the shape of large carnivorous plants to ward off (or punish) intruders. When Verdant take on humanoid forms they can grow very adept at manipulating their figures and disguising themselves, and, as the old magic that gave them life also gave them the ability to speak Common, can even create entire identities for interaction with other races.
All Verdant are in tune with the forces of nature, and can speak with other plants with ease. They're just as likely to gain knowledge hearing the wind through the trees as they are through conversation with other races.
Verdant Traits
Photosynthesis,Photosynthesis
When standing in the sun, you gain advantage on all Strength and Dexterity checks and saving throws.
When standing in the sun, you can instead spend an action to use one of your hit dice to regain hit points. Roll that hit die, add your Constitution modifier, and add the total to your remaining hit points. If you do, you no longer have advantage on Strength and Dexterity checks and saving throws until your next long rest.
If you have any points of exhaustion, you no longer gain these benefits.
Ability Score Increase
Your Wisdom score increases by 2, and you choose either your Constitution or Intelligence score to increase by 1.
Age
Verdant take less than a year to grow as plants, before gaining sentience upon reaching adulthood. They can live for centuries, depending on how often they intake nutrients from the earth and sun.
Alignment
Verdant tend towards neutrality, although some that have been frequently exposed to society are more likely to gain more extreme ideals, for better or for worse.
Size
Normally, Verdant are between 5 and 6 feet when in humanoid form. Your size when in humanoid form is Medium.
However, if you are in sunlight and on a material where you can sprout roots (soil, dirt, sand), you may use an action to either grow to Large size or shrink to Small size. When you are Large, your AC is reduced by 3, but your unarmed strikes deal an additional 1d6 damage. When you are Small, your AC is increased by 3, but your unarmed strikes only deal 1d4 damage.
As a bonus action, you may revert to Medium size if you are not currently Medium.
If your size changes due to this trait, you cannot use weapon attacks until you become Medium again.
Speed
Your base walking speed is 25 feet. You also have a burrowing speed of 15 feet.
Languages
You can speak, read, and write Common and one extra language of your choice. World-faring Verdant typically only learn Common as a second language, and instead, entire families will choose a language often spoken near their home fields to adopt as a sort of familial language.
Natural Weapons
Your unarmed strikes can be altered by changing the shape of your arms (no action required by you).
Each of your unarmed strikes deal 1d6 bludgeoning damage by default. You may change your arm to resemble a carnivorous plant, such as a flytrap, and deal 1d6 piercing damage instead, or change your arm to instead resemble a sickle, and deal 1d6 slashing damage instead.
Botanical Skin
As your body is composed of plant matter, you have resistance to psychic and lightning damage, but you have a natural weakness to fire and cold damage.
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